We Know Our Sources: Caruso’s Coffee

You may not know the Caruso’s name, but you probably know the coffee they create: Erie Island and Zack Bruell’s Zack’s Brews, and our own Two Brothers coffee.

Caruso’s is a family owned business that started in 2003, but the family has been roasting and blending specialty coffee since 1982. Caruso’s Coffee buys only the finest Arabica coffees from the best growing regions in the world, and their coffees are fair trade registered, certified kosher and organic.

Heinen’s recently had the chance to learn about the coffee roasting process from Dominic Caruso. Here, Dominic shares photos of his trip to Columbia and of the roasting process at Caruso’s Coffee headquarters.

The green coffee beans grow in a coffee cherry, which ripens from green to red. The coffee trees themselves can grow up to 15 feet high, but most farmers prune them to about 6-7 feet to make harvesting easier. A typical Arabica coffee tree will produce approximately 3 pounds of beans annually.

The depulper (left) removes the outer skin and fruit from the inner coffee bean. The beans are soaked in the tub to control acidity levels. The beans dry on special tables (right) before they can be transported to the local buying station.

The green, unroasted beans come to Caruso’s in burlap sacks, which are then emptied into roasters. The darker the roast, the longer roasting time it requires. Caruso’s roasters keep close watch on the beans to make sure that they achieve the perfect amount of roast for the finished product. Once the beans are fully roasted, they are emptied into large containers. From there, the beans will be packaged or blended for different flavor profiles.